Toronto Sun

‘That doesn’t make this no-holds-called trend any more digestible, or less concerning, for the Bills and their fans. Or fair. Because the calls aren’t going both ways: Buffalo defenders have been flagged 14 times so far in 2021 for this particular infraction, including three times just in the Bills’ crushing overtime loss at Tampa. Two other times the Bills defence vs. the Bucs was flagged for pass interference.’

‘It was a story of three games, really. The first half, in which the Bucs rolled to a 24-3 lead over a Bills team that alternated between being overwhelmed and disorganized.’

‘Right. One player vs. an entire franchise and fan base. More than any club in the league, Buffalo has earned its hatred for the most accomplished quarterback in league annals, one stinging defeat at a time.’

‘A factor that promises to be huge in this game is the weather. After two days of off-and-on rain as an unsettled weather mass moves through the Great Lakes region, the forecast for the Buffalo area Monday afternoon and evening calls for plummeting temperatures, snow showers and — most impactfully — strong winds.’

‘Put another way, every year Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been in the NFL, he has played the Titans. To put it bluntly, Allen and the Bills have stunk offensively against Tennessee in each of the previous three meetings: Winning 13-12 in Buffalo in 2018; winning 14-7 in Nashville in 2019; and getting blown off the field 42-16 in a prime-time game in Nashville last October.’

‘The Bills (4-1) woke up Monday as the team to beat now in the entire AFC, while the Chiefs (2-3) find themselves still in last place in the AFC West, with a head coach (Andy Reid) and superstar quarterback (Mahomes) openly admitting it’s time to go back to the drawing board.’

‘With due apologies to the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and perhaps Cincinnati Bengals — the only other viable AFC contenders one month into the season — it’s sure looking as though (1) the Chiefs once again possess the most dangerous offence in the conference, notwithstanding their 2-2 record, and (2) the Bills possess the AFC’s best all-around team, at 3-1.’

‘“We want to be about sustained success. Nobody’s going to win the Super Bowl every year, as much as we’d love to. But we want to be a team that’s looked at as a contender every year. We’ve reached that. Now we just have to see what we can do every year, and not just making a run for one year and back down the next. We want to be talked about year in and year out.”’

‘“It’s only five of my 47-year coaching career, but it sure is a very memorable part of my life,’’ said Levy of his CFL tenure.’

‘If you don’t have a defence that can force them to punt — even just occasionally — then you’d sure better have an offence that can keep pace for more than just a quarter or two.’

‘Some people in Buffalo don’t want to hear that, not about how great and unstoppable Allen happens to be — they know that — but how ordinary the legendary Jim Kelly was in his four Super Bowl starts. In fairness to Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback who has come to symbolize the heart and soul of the city of Buffalo and its beloved football team, he was like the Bills themselves: He never had a great championship day.’

‘To open the second half the Bills marched 66 yards to go up 10-3, on Josh Allen’s quick pass left to Stefon Diggs, from three yards out. The Ravens answered with a long drive, to the Bills’ nine. But on third-and-goal, disaster.’

‘So, can the Ravens afford to blitz Allen as much as a year ago? Probably not. Martindale practically admitted as much this week.’

‘Look, the Colts are a good team, with a plucky defence and the league’s most promising young running back in Jonathan Taylor. The difference between the two sides Saturday might have boiled down to one man: Diggs, Buffalo’s all-pro wide receiver. Take him off the Bills and put him on the Colts, and the Colts maybe — probably — would have won.’

‘Such immaturity is but a dot now in Allen’s rearview mirror. In the 2020 season he has been the epitome of composure; the Bills lead the league in third-down completion percentage.’